Mr. Don Blenkarn (Mississauga South):

Mr. Speaker, strong downward pressures have appeared on interest rate markets both here and in the United States. Clearly, new, strong, conservative Governments with effective mandates for business oriented policies are largely responsible for the increase in confidence that has led to falling interest rates.

In the United States, three-month Treasury bills were auctioned on November 5 for 8.82 per cent. Today our three-month Treasury bills were auctioned to yield 11.2 per cent, which is a drop of 22 basis points from last week.

Traders have indicated to me that they feel that our interest rates could drop much more rapidly if the Bank of Canada would discontinue its practice of relating exchange rates to interest rates.

May I suggest to the Minister of Finance (Mr. Wilson) that, in view of the fact that interest rates, while dropping here are dropping much more rapidly in the United States, he instruct the Bank of Canada to stop influencing interest rate markets in Canada and let rates drop as low as they can. This will save the country substantial costs in financing the national debt, and more than anything else will stimulate new business activity and the consequent result of increasing new job opportunities.

Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg-Birds Hill):

Mr. Speaker, I feel that the House and the people of Canada should know that the Government of Canda appears to have instructed an Environment Canada official in Madrid to urge fellow members of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature to reject Greenpeace International's application to join this respected international organization.

Greenpeace is an internationally recognized Canadian conservation group, with operations in over 15 countries and official status at the United Nations. It is ridiculous that the Canadian Government would be so petty as to even consider opposing Greenpeace's entry into the IUCN, and it is clearly inappropriate for any Government in an organization that is comprised mostly of N.G.O's. I have already notified the Minister of the Environment (Mrs. Blais-Grenier) of my Party's objection to this, but I want the House to know that New Democrats are not alone.

November 8, 1984

I have a telegram that was sent to the President of the IUCN in which 20 of the largest non government members of the IUCN, including the World Wildlife Federation, state that the efforts by the Government of Canada to block Greenpeace's entry into the IUCN risk "opening the door to unnecessary dissension and discord that will detract from and hinder the important work that we are all committed to accomplishing under the world conservation banner".

Obviously, Environment Canada's actions in Madrid are misguided and unpopular, and I call on the Minister of the Environment to make a statement, preferably in the House, to the effect that both passive and active opposition to Greenpeace's entry into the IUCN will cease.

Mr. Bill Lesick (Edmonton East):

Mr. Speaker, three days ago the agenda of the new Government was presented to the Canadian people. However, the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Turner) has criticized the Throne Speech, saying that the expectations of Canadians were not fulfilled.

Let us look at the area of federal-provincial relations.

Are Canadians disappointed that both levels of government, including Quebec, have embarked on a new path of co-operation and not confrontation? No.

Are Canadians disappointed that the federal Government has invited labour, business, and government to an economic summit to work out new strategies based on consensus? Absolutely not.

Will Canadians be disappointed that all 11 leaders in Canada will sit down to plan for our future? No.

I do not believe that the expectations of the people in my region, in my province, have been unfulfilled. In fact, they are relieved.

Perhaps the Leader of the Opposition will want to applaud this new atittude once he understands that it is absolutely necessary if we are to develop a sound future for our next generation. As an Albertan I feel confident that the concerns of my province will finally be heard and understood.

Ms. Sheila Copps (Hamilton East):

Mr. Speaker, I am rising to express my extreme regret about the Government's handling of the United States Trade and Tariff Act 1984. You will be aware that as of next week legislation in the United States Congress will be passed which will adversely affect Canada's steel industry by requiring identification of Canadian pipe entering the United States.

I rise on behalf of the people of Hamilton and all those who are concerned about the steel industry, particularly in view of the Government's alleged positive relationship with the President of the United States. It seems to me that it would have been appropriate for the Minister for International Trade (Mr. Kelleher) at the very least to go to the United States directly to lobby, to ensure that Canadians would be exempted from the trade and tariff changes that will adversely affect our industry as of November 13.

In view of the new spirit of co-operation that has been developed between the Canadian and American Governments, I would suggest that the Prime Minister (Mr. Mulroney) exercise his influence with the President of the United States with a little more than a tea party at the Rose Garden, by ensuring that the Congressional Act which will become effective on November 13 will exempt Canadian steel from the labelling provisions.

Mr. Ron Stewart (Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Public Works):

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of State for Tourism (Mr. McMillan) is aware of the proposal for a tourism-hospitality industry resource centre at Georgian College in my riding. The project will provide employment and improve the quality of tourism at a time when this important industry is facing a number of difficult challenges.

Under the former Liberal Government, Simcoe South was generally overlooked in the area of tourism. Georgian College had 800 applications for the 280 places in its tourism management program this year. Although it is the third largest co-op college in Ontario, it has, in the past, received very little federal assistance.

Georgian College's proposal is estimated to cost $3.5 million, a modest price tag for a project that will deliver over 600 training places in tourism management by 1986. The proposal has the endorsement of TIAC, Tourism Ontario, and a commitment of financial assistance from the Ontario Government. In addition, in his speech in Barrie on August 11 the Prime Minister (Mr. Mulroney) expressed his keen interest in this project.

Georgian College offers a first rate tourism management program. The proposed resource centre will be a valuable additon to the existing program.

The new P.C. Government has recognized the importance of tourism by establishing a Ministry of State for Tourism, and by appointing a capable Minister to head it. I urge him to look seriously at this urgently needed project.

November 8, 1984

Mr. Jean-Robert Gauthier (Ottawa-Vanier):

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign a special debate was held in Toronto on women's issues. The commitments of the Tory Party now in Government would, in hindsight, appear to be public relations window dressing, given the emptiness of the Speech from the Throne.

Canadian women deserve the respect held out to them in the Speech from the Throne, as do all Canadians. Canadian women also deserve action with programs, policies, and legislation to bring them into the mainstream of Canadian economic life.

What the women of Canada have been given by the Tory Government is a study. Some place, somewhere in this city must be a warehouse full of studies regarding women and the economy.

They are all yours.

Mr. Gauthier:

Right, use them.

The Tory Government must act now to implement the shelter allowance program for single parents advocated by the Right Hon. Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Turner) during the election campaign. The Tory Government must act now to begin negotiations with the provinces for the implementation of a national daycare system which will provide women with greater access to jobs and training.

The Speech from the Throne has been called a motherhood speech. It is nothing but empty promises. Unfortunately for single and working mothers the Speech from the Throne is empty, and fails to recognize that in difficult economic times there is more to motherhood than being all things to all people. This Speech from the Throne is a disaster.

Mr. Mike Cassidy (Ottawa Centre):

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to express the concern of my constituents and my Party and also of 300,000 members of the Public Service about rumours and leaks according to which 15,000 Public Service jobs are to disappear tonight, as part of Mr. Wilson's statement. These rumours seem to be part of a deliberate campaign aimed at getting the public to anticipate changes that will cost jobs instead of creating them.

People voted for change in my riding of Ottawa Centre and across Canada, but in my opinion very few voted to make the Public Service a scapegoat in order to appease the business

community. There are real challenges for the Public Service to be met, but under the Liberal Government the Public Service was overmanaged, and its morale suffered from repeated six and five freezes and other such steps. I would not like to see the same thing continued under the new Government.

To give an example, the new Government has let 200 contract employees in Canada Employment and Immigration go, despite the fact that unemployment is at record levels and that jobs counsellors in CEIC cannot do the job adequately now because there are too few of them.

As Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, the Prime Minister (Mr. Mulroney) promised during the election campaign that, while the Government supported a need for restraint in government spending, "we are not in favour of this goal being achieved on the backs of public servants". I call upon the Government to live up to this commitment and not make public employees sacrificial victims in its budgetary policy.